Days of Noah

“And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him.”

Daniel 11:45

Daniel chapter 11 provides one of the most detailed accounts of the political and military campaign of the Antichrist — aka the King of the North. So far we have learned that the Antichrist will emerge as a little horn, on the periphery, but will grow in power and advance through intrigue and deception.

We learned that the King of the North will begin expressing his dominance in the Middle East, specifically targeting Egypt — the King of the South. After dealing an initial military blow to Egypt, the King of North will return a second time only to discover that Egypt has called for reinforcements, forcing him to retreat in a fit of rage.

At this point the King of the North will vent his anger against the holy covenant and the people of Israel, setting up the abomination that causes desolation in the Temple. This blasphemous act of self-exaltation will trigger the Great Tribulation and the final 3.5 years of history. Many of God’s people, who know their God, will be trampled and persecuted by the Antichrist by fire, sword and captivity. This will be both the time of Jacob’s trouble and a call for the endurance of the saints and those who hold to the testimony of Jesus.

Other Scriptures confirm that the saints — the true believers and followers of Yahweh and His Anointed Yeshua — will be worn out by the Antichrist for this appointed time of 3.5 years.

“He shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
for a time, times, and half a time.”

Daniel 7:25

And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished.“

Daniel 12:6-7

Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.“

Revelation 11:1-2

“And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.“

Revelation 12:13-14

“And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation …”

Revelation 13:5-7

One Last Clash with Egypt

“At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through.”

Daniel 11:40

At the time of the end … certainly speaks of the latter portion of the Great Tribulation [3.5 years], which culminates with the Day of the LORD.

Apparently Egypt will be one of the few Middle Eastern nations that is able to initially resist the Antichrist. As the King of the North continues to grow in power, Egypt will make one last desperate attempt to attack him but to no avail. The language here clearly shows a shift in dominance from their previous encounter, when the King of the North was forced to retreat. By this time, the Beast will have amassed a significant army, as he is able to “come into countries and overflow and pass through.“

Other prophecies concerning Egypt align well with this scenario.

“I will give over the Egyptians
into the hand of a hard master,
and a fierce king will rule over them,
declares the Lord GOD of hosts.”

Isaiah 19:4

Back to Ground Zero

“He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train”

Daniel 11:41-43

After the Antichrist decimates Egypt, he will easily take Put and Cush — Sudan and North Africa — as they will surrender and throw in with the fierce king. Once Egypt and Northern Africa is subdued, the Beast will refocus his attention to the glorious land of Israel, set up his headquarters right outside of Jerusalem, and gather his armies there for the final battle of Armageddon [Revelation 16-17] — aka the war of Gog of Magog [Ezekiel 38-39].

The Antichrist will pitch his palatial tents between the Mediterranean Sea and the “glorious holy mountain” — Zion in Jerusalem. This will be the last stand of the Antichrist as he prepares to make war with the Lamb — the King of kings. Everything comes back to Zion, which is why that will be the battle ground for the final war to end all wars.

Many passages are connect the Day of the LORD with the judgment of Egypt, Magog, Cush, Put etc…

The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD:

Wail, ‘Alas for the day!’
For the day is near,
the day of the LORD is near;
it will be a day of clouds,
a time of doom for the nations.
A sword shall come upon Egypt,
and anguish shall be in Cush,
when the slain fall in Egypt,
and her wealth is carried away,
and her foundations are torn down.

Cush, and Put, and Lud, and all Arabia, and Libya, and the people of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.“

Ezekiel 30:1-5

“Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 4And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords. 5Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet;6Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes—many peoples are with you.”

Ezekiel 38:3-6

Interestingly, modern-day Jordan (Edom/Moab) will be delivered out of the hand of the Antichrist, apparently of some divine purpose, and there will be some news from the east (possibly China) and the north (possibly Russia) that will alarm the Beast. Perhaps he knows his time is short and therefore he will “shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction” [Daniel 11:44].

Yet when King Jesus returns from heaven in power and great glory, He will slay the Beast and decimate the armies of evil. His end will come and there will be none to deliver him from the wrath of the Lamb! Jesus is coming to deliver His people, liberate Jerusalem, and crush His enemies with a rod of iron and trample them in the fury of God’s wrath.

Perhaps no one describes the end of the Antichrist better than the Apostle Paul.

“Since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you,7and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed …

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.”

2 Thessalonians 1:6-10, 2:8

Next time I will begin to unpack the last chapter of Daniel.